The Zutons
England | Indie Rock | 2001 - present
The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They formed in Liverpool in 2001, taking their name from The Magic Band guitarist Bill Harkleroad, better known as Zoot Horn (or "Zuton") Rollo. Dave McCabe had previously been in Tramp Attack, and Russ and Sean were in The Big Kids (with Howie Payne of The Stands). Originally a four-piece, Sean's girlfriend Abi Harding began joining The Zutons on stage for a couple of songs mid-set, playing simple saxophone lines. She was very popular with the crowd. The other band members liked the way her saxophone enhanced their sound. Abi became a full member, contributing vocals and sax.
At first, the band had to battle comparisons to The Coral. Both bands were Merseyside bands prominent members of the Liverpool music scene, on the same record label, and they shared the same producer, Ian Broudie. The band's music has proved difficult to categorize, being described as "psychedelic cartoon punk".
The first record the band put out was the 3-track CD Devil's Deal, released in September 2002. The following spring they released Creepin' And A Crawlin', and then the download-only single Haunts Me in November 2003. The band's "Z" logo was changed early in 2004 to avoid confusion with the Zenith logo.
The band announced on July 13, 2007 that guitarist Boyan Chowdhury has left The Zutons, citing "musical differences". After Chowdhury left the band, bassist Russell Pritchard claimed: "It was like splitting up with someone. It set us back in a way and moved us forward too. I had a little bit of a cry about it. I'm not ashamed to admit. It was hard confronting him about it". The band claim that Chowdhury's departure was a mutual decision. In late 2007, The Zutons asked multi-instrumentalist Paul Molloy, formerly of The Skylarks, to join the band. He has played with the band on such occasions as the Isle of Wight Festival and Radio 1's Big Weekend 2008.